Ban on Flavored Tobacco a Win for Public Health

Statement by Matthew Marsom, Vice President of Program and Public Policy

“California’s decision last week to ban flavored tobacco products is a major win for public health. The many California legislators and advocates who fought for this measure and the Governor who signed it within hours are public health heroes.

“Over 480,000 deaths a year could be prevented by the elimination of tobacco use. This legislation is an important step in stopping tobacco companies from targeting and recruiting vulnerable new users: California kids.

“Tobacco use has skyrocketed alarmingly among our teens, fueled by the growth  of vaping and other new products, many of them in a variety of flavors known to attract children and youth. More than 1 in 4 high schoolers now report using some form of nicotine product, up from just 1 in 10 in 2017. And more than 80% of California youth who use tobacco say they started with flavored products.

“That’s why PHI joined a host of other public health organizations to support this legislation and the California Fights Flavors campaign.

“Tobacco is deadly. We urge the FDA and other states to move swiftly to fully prohibit all flavored tobacco products, including menthol. We also urge state and local governments in California to apply the same common-sense approach to marijuana, and ban the flavored marijuana products that are being used by that industry to target youth.”